Machine for separating solids from liquids



June 10, 1930. J. THOMSON ET AL 1,7 ,8

MACHINE FOR SEPARATING SOLIDS FROM LIQUIDS Filed May 17. 1928 6 8 4A 41-15 A! 1t 7 HA E 14A 'm/kf/vraes Patented June 10, 1930 Unis 1ST T M H LAN ASSIGNORS czEALaND PAT Nr OFF CEQ -e-j c JAMES THOMSON AND CATHERINE LIZABETH THoMsoN, or .DU EpIN, NEWZEA-- on T EE-Empres- 'ro JOHN WINSLOE, or DUNEDIN, o 'raeo, iN-Ew .MAGHINE nort snrenA'r Ne soLiDs FROM LIoUIi s Application filed M25317, 192s, Seria1 'No."278,5l98,and in ew Zealand u1 '4, 1927.

This invention'relates to means for Qpa- 2 to the receivinghopper 3 of a centrifugal rating wool-fat from' the wash remaining after wool has been scoured, and has-for its object the provision 'ofmeans whereby the dirt contained in the wash is separated from the wool-fat and water at the same time as the wool-fat is separated from the water,}so that a simultaneous threepart separation iseifected. By this means the whole-of a wash can be treated in a quick and efficient manner andthe wool fat extracted therefrom separately from the dirt and the water. 7 According to this invention the device em ployed is of a mechanical nature and similar in principle to the centrifugal milk and cream separator. The latter machine, however, is capable only of a twopart separation and is not suitable for the extraction 'of wool fat from scouring wash, in that, hile some separation of the fatfrom the wash cancertainly be effected, the dirt andother foreignmatter remains undealt with and owing to its weight Will not readily'discharge with the water but remains in the separator-bowl where it quickly accumulates and causes the separator tocease functioning. This" necessitates taking the separator bowl to pieces, cleaning separation can be effected;

In thisinvention the prlnciple of'the' centrifugal separator discs has been retained but the bowl has been modified to: conform to thespecial conditionsof working, 'while" means for trapping the dirt' and othersedi ment and delivering it separately and im mediately from the bowl hav ebeen incorpo-V Figure 2 s asectional elevation of'the' Figure 3 is'a half plan view ofs'aid bowl showing in dotted lines, the position of the dirt outlet jetsand water discharge passages. The wash water or waste from a wool scouring plant is passed at a suitable tein peraturethrough a pipe 1 and control float" separator of special design.

, From the hopper 3 the wash is passed to and" down thec'entre of the rotating discs 4' in abowl 4A and is then'thrown outwards between the said discs 4130 their peripheries ,underthe action of the centrifugal force discharged through a port 5'into a vessel 6 or nozzle 7.

The wash'thrown tothe from which it is run ofi by means of a spout peripheries of the discs 4 comprises water and'dirt. The water" having been ejected from between the discs immediately tends .to rise in the bowl' lA and is passed out'of the latter through suitable passage 8 leading upwards to the top ofsaid' bowl and openin out of the latter into a vessel 9 fitted wlth a discharge spout 10.-

The dirt contained in the wash, being heavi'er, does not so easily free itself from the centrifugal action of the discs, but is thrown vinto contact with the interior of "the bowl and re-assembling the same before further; i

bowl being for this purpose bulged .out

wardly around'its periphery ata position 4A around its greatest periphery, thesaid 4B 'about'midway of the height of the edges of the discs 4. r f a This bulging or increasing at lBrof the diameter of the bowl 4A; provides a greater 'spaceinside the bowl around the edges of the discs-4 than-is usual in a centrifugal sepa; rator with the result that the upwardmove ment ofthe water after'leaving the discs 4 is made easier and more gradual thereby fa' cilitating the separation and 'continuedcoutward movement of the dirt and other foreign matter towards the periphery of the said bowl 4A. y

Around this bulged portion of the periphcry of the bowl 4A. are provided a plurality of small jets or openings ll'openi'ngradially from the interior of said bowl to the outside of 'thejlatter, Baffles12 are provided inside the bowl 4A over each-of the said jets 'or'openings '11 to prevent the centrifugal action of from which latter it is ejected by the centrifugal force in continuous streams which I are caught and collected, in a circular trough l fo'rme-d in the'frame'14 of the machine and positioned around the bowl 4A.

The bowl LA by reason of its rapid rotation Within the frame 14- causes a current of air to be carried around with it inside said frame, and this current'of air causes the slush caught in the trough 13 to travel around in the latter until it is discharged through a tangential spout 15 opening out of said trough 13.

Openings 14A in the lower portion of-the frame 14L provide for the free entry and circulation of air inside the latter, while a drain pipe 16 leading from the bottom of the interior of the frame isv provided to carry away any moisture or the like which may not have been caught and disposed of by the trough 13.

The bowl 4A is suitably mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft 17 which may be driven by any suitable means, such as by an electric motor directly mounted or geared to its lower end.

In order that the water after passing from the'discs 4 may not rise soquickly in the bowl 4A as to tend to carry with it the dirt and other matter which it is desired to separate, it isnecessary that means be provided whereby the rate of discharge of such water from the bowltA can be regulated as required and to suitwasheshaving different percentages of dirt and fat content.

This is most effectively accomplished by -means of a ring or band 18 passed over the top end of the bowl 4A and adapted to be clamped in position thereon by means of a set screw 18A. WVhen it is desired to reduce the rate of discharge of water through thepassages 8 the ring or band 18 is moved downwardly until it covers or closes the outlet of said passages to a desired extent, when it is again clamped in position by means of the set screw 18A. By this means the area of the outletsof the passages 8 can be restricted or reduced to any desired extent and the quantity of water discharged therethrough consement, an intermediate compartment and an upper compartment, the lower compartment being formed to provide an annular trough at a point intermediate its upper and lower ends, a bowlmounted for rotation within and spaced from the wall of the lower compartment, the wall of the bowl being formed intermediate its ends with a series of radially disposed jets in line with the annular trough of the frame, the wall of the bowl inclininginwardly above'and below the'jets'to'provide the maximum bowl area in line with the'jets, aseries of superimposed disks carried by the bottom ofthe bowl and spaced apart to permit the passage of material from between them, means for delivering material axially of the disks, a series of closed upwardly converging ducts arranged in spaced relation on the inner surface of the bowlwith their lower open ends terminating above the radial jets and their open upper ends leading through the wallrof the bowl into the upper compartment of the frame, the upwardly diverging wall of the bowl below the jets directing the heavier material separated by centrifugal force to said: jets, thelighter material separated by the disks rising in the bowl and through the ducts for delivery in the upper compartment of the frame, and baiiles for the jets to prevent direct outward fiow therethrough.

2. A centrifugal separator including a frame formed to provide a lower compartment, an intermediate compartment and an upper compartment, the lower compartment being formed to provide an annular trough at a, point intermediate its upper and lower ends, a bowl mounted for rotation within and spaced from the wall of the lower compartment, the wall of the bowl being formed intermediate its ends with a series of radially disposed jets in line with the annular trough of the frame, the wall of the bowl inclining inwardly above and'below the ets to provide the maximum bowl area in line with the jets, a series of superimposed disks carried by the bottomof the bowl and spaced apart to permit the passage of material from between them, means for delivering material axially of the disks, a series of closed upwardly converging ducts arranged in spaced relation on the inner surface of the bowl with their lower open ends terminating above the radial jets and their open upper ends leading through the wall of the bowl into the upper compartment of the frame, the upwardly diverging wall of the bowl below the jets directing the heavier material separated by centrifugal force to said jets, the lighter material separated by the disks rising in the bowl and through the ducts for delivery in the upper compartment of the frame, and manually adj ustable means for controlling the upper ends of the ducts to restrict the flow of material therethrough in orderthat the rate of discharge of such material may be such as .to pre- Vent a corresponding movement of the heavier refuse material. 7 a In testimony whereof we have signed our names'to this specification at Dunedin, New Zealand, this 18th day of January, A. D.,

' J. THOMSON. V 0. E. THOMSON. 

